HiRez Poll Toto - IV [SACD]

[dr. simple]

And for us Toto fans, "Africa" is the one we're tired of hearing and we love all the others! (Although I'm very happy that "Africa" has given their popularity a well-deserved boost). On their recent tour they played "Lovers In The Night" and "Make Believe" and I couldn't have been happier.

 

[ar surround]

I listened to this album straight through the other day...I was in the mood for early '80's pop/rock. Sometimes I listen to just a couple of songs, but all of the intros. The intros on these songs are absolute killers...my favorite collection of intros ever assembled. I'd love to see the self-titled album get the 5.1 treatment just for Hold the Line.

 

[Scott65]

I listened to this album straight through the other day...I was in the mood for early '80's pop/rock. Sometimes I listen to just a couple of songs, but all of the intros. The intros on these songs are absolute killers...my favorite collection of intros ever assembled. I'd love to see the self-titled album get the 5.1 treatment just for Hold the Line.

Hold the line in 5.1 would be amazing

 

[sbrom]

And for us Toto fans, "Africa" is the one we're tired of hearing and we love all the others! (Although I'm very happy that "Africa" has given their popularity a well-deserved boost). On their recent tour they played "Lovers In The Night" and "Make Believe" and I couldn't have been happier.

Perhaps I’m not a true fan, but I never tire of hearing Africa. A powerful song with great surround mix and sonic clarity to die for.

 

[Clint Eastwood]

Hold the line in 5.1 would be amazing

I'm listening to it right now...well kind of...it's not really "discrete"...it's from the blu ray concert Falling In Between Live....a good concert...more like big stereo...but entertaining..although not really surround I recommend this concert

 

[dr. simple]

I'm listening to it right now...well kind of...it's not really "discrete"...it's from the blu ray concert Falling In Between Live....a good concert...more like big stereo...but entertaining..although not really surround I recommend this concert

I may be borderline überfan, so as much as I like Falling In Between Live (I saw the tour), I'd recommend this concert (I saw this tour as well).

 

[pti]

If any one has just received the All In box set, listen to Afraid of Love from the Toto IV 5.1 mix. I think the lead vocal for the second verse is missing. Right?

Update: Is it just that there is an instrumental verse inserted in the 5.1? I can't quite figure it out.

 

[HDave]

I normally stay away from stereo sacd's, I buy a few because it's the only option, (Hendrix Experience) others I buy because they sound better in fake surround then the 5.1 mix. Better clarity and this is one of the titles I have, I listen to that way.

 

[fredblue]

If any one has just received the All In box set, listen to Afraid of Love from the Toto IV 5.1 mix. I think the lead vocal for the second verse is missing. Right?

Update: Is it just that there is an instrumental verse inserted in the 5.1? I can't quite figure it out.

very interesting pti, thanks for the feedback.

over on the SHF is some more info on differences discovered in the 5.1 on the Blu-ray, from SHF member fpas;

"And then my findings on the Toto IV 5.1 mix.
You'll be surprised.

The high resolution stereo mix has the original album length.
But the surround mix is almost 2 minutes longer. Really!

I don't know which tapes were used. Soundwise it has the same characteristics of the SACD, placing of the instruments and so forth. But both "Make Believe" and "Afraid Of Love" are quite a bit longer. "We Made It" just a little bit.

"Make Believe" has a much longer (unedited now it seems) outro.
"Afraid Of Love" has a whole instrumental 2nd verse, where you would think Steve would start to sing the 2nd verse and then...just instruments, which is kinda weird. Then another chorus, with a different break at the end and a different arrangement, and then the original 2nd verse starts. After the chorus, the guitar-only break is ... shorter. The end of the song is faded out completely and does not segue into "Lovers In The Night", like on the original album and also the SACD surround mix. (The SACD has the album as we know it in surround).
"We Made It" is also slightly longer at the end, which is very nice.

Other things caught my ear as well.
The outro guitar solo of "Lovers In The Night", that is played in Jeff's drum break, doesn't start with the buzzsaw guitar sound that leads into the solo.
Don't know what happened. Maybe an unedited album mix was used. But, there you have it. Almost 2 minutes more of Toto IV in the 5.1 surround mix.

About the 5.1 DTS-HD Master audio track, that track one sounds botched on my Oppo player, not good at all. It has dropouts all the way through. Luckily the LCPM 5.1 surround mix , which is the same mix and uncompressed, is fine."

 

[pti]

very interesting pti, thanks for the feedback.

over on the SHF is some more info on differences discovered in the 5.1 on the Blu-ray, from SHF member fpas;
...

Thank you!

I had only figured out the Afraid verse 2 difference so far, but hadn’t had time for more A/B comparison yet. I’ll listen for these other things now.

I guess it’s sort of cool that there are some alternative arrangements, but the instrumental verse does feel oddly placed there.

 

[key_wiz]

Toto has long been a much-maligned band. But no one can deny the musicianship of the band or how good most of their albums sounded. Musicians usually “got” Toto even if the critics did not.

This was their biggest hit album and, as such, not one of my personal favorites just because so much of it was so overplayed back in the day. But this sounds great. And I’m a bit less tired of it so many years later. Easily the best the album has ever sounded. Maybe not Scheiner’s most active mix, but it’s active enough for the material, IMO.

I have to give it a “10”. Classic album. Great SACD sound and fidelity. Punchy but still warm. Great surround mix. Discreet but still enveloping.

Wish we could get the first three albums in surround. Especially “Turn Back”. My favorite Toto album that sadly suffers from a horrid, muddy mix.

 

[key_wiz]

very interesting pti, thanks for the feedback.

over on the SHF is some more info on differences discovered in the 5.1 on the Blu-ray, from SHF member fpas;

"And then my findings on the Toto IV 5.1 mix.
You'll be surprised.

The high resolution stereo mix has the original album length.
But the surround mix is almost 2 minutes longer. Really!

I don't know which tapes were used. Soundwise it has the same characteristics of the SACD, placing of the instruments and so forth. But both "Make Believe" and "Afraid Of Love" are quite a bit longer. "We Made It" just a little bit.

"Make Believe" has a much longer (unedited now it seems) outro.
"Afraid Of Love" has a whole instrumental 2nd verse, where you would think Steve would start to sing the 2nd verse and then...just instruments, which is kinda weird. Then another chorus, with a different break at the end and a different arrangement, and then the original 2nd verse starts. After the chorus, the guitar-only break is ... shorter. The end of the song is faded out completely and does not segue into "Lovers In The Night", like on the original album and also the SACD surround mix. (The SACD has the album as we know it in surround).
"We Made It" is also slightly longer at the end, which is very nice.

Other things caught my ear as well.
The outro guitar solo of "Lovers In The Night", that is played in Jeff's drum break, doesn't start with the buzzsaw guitar sound that leads into the solo.
Don't know what happened. Maybe an unedited album mix was used. But, there you have it. Almost 2 minutes more of Toto IV in the 5.1 surround mix.

About the 5.1 DTS-HD Master audio track, that track one sounds botched on my Oppo player, not good at all. It has dropouts all the way through. Luckily the LCPM 5.1 surround mix , which is the same mix and uncompressed, is fine."

Wow that’s interesting. I’d love to hear the BD if I could find it for less the an arm and 3 legs.

My guess is ES did these longer mixes originally from the multis and then they were edited down to match the original LP for the SACD but someone decided to give us a “bonus” for the BD (or didn’t bother to notice)

I’m always up for extended/different mixes in surround!

 

[sbrom]

Toto has long been a much-maligned band. But no one can deny the musicianship of the band or how good most of their albums sounded. Musicians usually “got” Toto even if the critics did not.

This was their biggest hit album and, as such, not one of my personal favorites just because so much of it was so overplayed back in the day. But this sounds great. And I’m a bit less tired of it so many years later. Easily the best the album has ever sounded. Maybe not Scheiner’s most active mix, but it’s active enough for the material, IMO.

I have to give it a “10”. Classic album. Great SACD sound and fidelity. Punchy but still warm. Great surround mix. Discreet but still enveloping.

Wish we could get the first three albums in surround. Especially “Turn Back”. My favorite Toto album that sadly suffers from a horrid, muddy mix.

Yup, musicians got them, including Steely Dan and Boz Scaggs to play for them on some of their albums.

 

[edisonbaggins]

Toto IV in Surround Review

I voted 9. My mind starts to wander around track 8 or so, but the album finishes strong with Africa.
Lots of good tunes, excellent production and killer mix.
Very special thanks to @Elad
You know what you did...
Also, to whomever did the Toto IV rips!

 

[HDave]

After watching your vid Mike I had to laugh because a seller on eBay misrepresented the disc they sold me. It had conflicting info but never a mention of exactly what it was stereo or MCH. In the description that he used had the stock photos showing Multichannel.
When I received it unfortunately it was the 2.0 release (2.0 in 1999 and 2003) and had the same catalog number of CS 37728.
So I held that until I got a decent price on the correct CS 86544 Multichannel release. Being as I got a good price on the MCH one it offset getting taken on the 2.0 sale. (So to me a push sold the 2.0 for $40 less than I paid but got the MCH for roughly $40 less from recent pricing).
And in the end I gave it to my son because he always liked Toto and I preferred Little River Band....

 

[soundboy]

Yup, musicians got them, including Steely Dan and Boz Scaggs to play for them on some of their albums.

The members of Toto are known in the music industry as "first call" studio musicians. You want the best players on your record? You call the Toto guys first. If they are good enough for the likes of Michael Jackson, Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, Chicago, Lionel Richie, etc. .....

 

[soundboy]

Over at SHF, the below youtube video was posted. It is a channel-by-channel breakdown of the 5.1 mix to the song "Africa". I know some are sick and tired of the song, especially with its recent revival in pop culture that resulted in the song being certified 5X platinum. However, as described in the below link, the original recording of "Africa" was very complex and intricate....

https://www.mixonline.com/recording/classic-tracks-totos-africa-375305
The below youtube video isolated each of the 5.1 channels in the multichannel mix. You'll hear instruments, such as the acoustic guitar and the piano, more prominent instead of being buried underneath the rest of the instruments. Enjoy!

 

[Sashaaa]

This is alright. Suprisingly decent AOR and Rosanna/Africa still is a good track. Multichannel mix is fine, gets the job done and is discrete enough. I'm not head over heels with this release, but its still good, and that's better than bad, right?

I give it a 7/10

 

[Goona]

All I can say is wow. Not heard this album until now. Always felt the production was kinda hazy not clear on the original CD. Now fidelity is excellent, seperation superb, mix exquisite. Music content brilliant, this was my most played CD of the era, great to be able to listen to this in 5.1 at last.

 

[edisonbaggins]

Life in Surround Sony Japan 7" Reissue Video: